Sometimes opportunities present itself in front of you. You might not know at first glance but eventually you end up being certain about that right decision and the outcome of it through time.

In 2011 after having booked a concert by Avelino Saavedra in Valencia, we approached him and invited to prepare an album for Audiotalaia Digital Catalogue. He was one of the firsts artists to release a work on the label under the premise of meeting him in person before decide whether we release or not his work. A rule we brake sometimes but we try to keep it in full. By that time, 2011, Saavedra delivered “Ink Soundsketches” our 40th release at the date and his first LP by him exploring a limited palette of colours, instrumentation and electronics. That album was an exercise of distillation of certain sonic and musical explorations Saavedra was working on at that time.

Almost 2 years after, Saavedra approached us again, this time he was delivering “MUD” our 63rd in our Digital Catalogue. This album was the consequence of a workflow that narrowed his focus, understanding that a minimalistic approach on sound sources was a path to enhance creativity and increasing the challenge in terms of experimentation. “MUD” was made only using one single instrument, a ridiculously big “Udu” Drum and a few microphones and pedals. The outcome a tapestry of textures and harsh soundscapes made out of sustained and freeze notes, noise and effects. But that was it, Saavedra completely obsessed until exhaustion squeezing all possible outcomes of a very limited process.

Three years we have been waiting for the next call by Avelino Saavedra. Three years in which this Galician-born artist has been recording, playing and releasing music with his fellow saxophonist Josep Lluis Galiana. This duo, focuses attention on various forms of Free Improvisation but mainly: good old Free-Jazz (go to Lusicina Discos or their own bandcamp and dig in). This, intense period (that is not over at all) has consequences. Saavedra has regained and re-invented his very early instrument: drums. Saavedra was born and raised as a drummer for punk and hardcore bands in gloomy Galicia, and hey! That explains a lot, isn’t it?

Playing along with Galiana while recovering the use of a Drum Kit, Saavedra said and stated as some sort of revelation: “yes, I am a drummer, that’s me”. Maybe he already knew, maybe he just needed a little push, after all, Galicians are well known for being very doubtful people.

“Frozen Drumscapes” is the point of convergence between a career that started on the underground Galician hardcore scene and a meticulous process of exploration on the realm of sound composition or experimental music. The point of convergence triggers a very complex and long process of distilling all sonic possibilities of an exquisitely custom-made Drum Kit, a full instrument, composed by various pieces of drums, meticulously chosen pedals and tons of hours of practice, essay and error. And when we say tons of hours, we really mean it. This guy practices, records and plays on a daily basis.

And this is it, again Saavedra, working tirelessly on a single concept, extracting the whole juice to a limited and constrained set of rules, battling constantly with doubt, intuition and assertiveness, all in one, exploring the unknown.

Lets get back to the beginning of the story: “Sometimes opportunities present itself in front of you” this is it. We didn’t know that Ink Soundsketches would (somehow) trigger MUD and we didn’t know that after that, Saavedra would recover drums hand in hand with Galiana. We didn’t know that the next consequence would be something as precise, bold, profound and intelligent as “Frozen Drumscapes”. We didn’t know that, but we are glad to be there and witness that story and the ones to come in the future.